Search smh:

Search in:

No one safe in Cup squad: Postecoglou

Angela Habashy and Steve Larkin

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has warned no one's spot is safe, with seven players to be axed from his squad before the World Cup kicks off next month.

Citing need for "meaningful change", Postecoglou on Wednesday announced 30-man preliminary World Cup squad long on youth and inexperience, featuring uncapped duo Baily Wright and Ben Halloran and a further 17 players with fewer than 10 caps to their names.

Newcastle Jets trio Adam Taggart, Josh Brillante and Mark Birighitti are among 10 A-League players selected in the squad, which has an average age of 22.5.

Defence looms as potentially the biggest problem area, with Postecoglou naming an inexperienced group minus overlooked veteran centre-backs Lucas Neill and Sasa Ognenovski plus Trent Sainsbury, who was ruled out by a knee injury.

Advertisement

Luke Wilkshire is the exception, with the caps of the seven other defenders and four goalkeepers combined still shy of his 79.

But Postecoglou said he had no intention of selecting veterans in defence just "to make everyone happy".

"I had some pretty clear criteria - form and fitness and an eye to the future and this squad reflects that," he said.

With 22 of the 30 players having never been to a World Cup, Postecoglou admits it's a green group but, tasked with rebuilding the side, the coach said there was no other way.

"We needed to change the direction of our national team," he said.

"This wasn't going to be an adjustment; this was a meaningful change and we needed to regenerate the team," he said.

"There was no doubt in my mind that we needed to make some meaningful change in the players we selected and, at the same time, understand that it's a World Cup."

Postecoglou will cut three players the day after Australia's friendly against South Africa in Sydney on May 26 with four more to go when the final 23-man squad to be named in Brazil on June 2.

Before then, however, the 30-man squad will gather for a 10-day camp from Thursday.

And Postecoglou said players still needed to prove themselves in that time.

"I have been really impressed with some of the younger players, particularly the likes of Brillante and Taggart in the A-League, Ben Halloran has really come on in the last bit in Germany," he said.

"The way Curtis Good handled that step up in the Ecuador game gave me even more confidence that our young players, given the opportunity, will take it.

"But there is still a battle within this whole group of 30 to get on the plane, the 23 haven't been selected yet.

"How they perform within this context of this camp will obviously be an indicator."

Postecoglou has been clear his selection would be based around playing regularly and playing well but the coach said having drive was also key.

"Hopefully, they have a similar fire in the belly to myself in getting an opportunity," he said.

"I think that is really important, that hunger is within that group to create their own path."

Facing South American powerhouse Chile (June 13), 2010 grand finalists the Netherlands (June 18) and world champions Spain (June 23) in their group, most Australians would be happy if the Socceroos finished the group stage with a point.

But Postecoglou says he'll be much harder to please.

"I'm never happy, mate. So it wouldn't matter what we did over there," he said.

"We're going on the biggest stage in the world against absolutely the best in the world. What we want to do is measure ourselves against that.

"If at the end of this World Cup people are looking at their calendar and circling the next time this team plays and want to watch them, that means we have made an impact at this World Cup."